


...and the taste of rain on my tongue

by haraamis, kedriaa



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: F/M, a bit of romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-08
Updated: 2008-06-08
Packaged: 2017-10-14 10:32:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/148313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haraamis/pseuds/haraamis, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kedriaa/pseuds/kedriaa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Late at night,  Wufei gets an unexpected visitor and ends up with an even more unexpected proposal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	...and the taste of rain on my tongue

**Author's Note:**

> Co-written with **kedriaa** ♥ in summer 2008. This was kind of an experiment and one of our first attempts at writing together (really writing together as opposed to plotting together and one of us *coughKedriaacough* writing it). So, while this is far from perfect as we're still getting used to this kind of writing, we quite liked it and found it cute enough to decide to post it. ^_^
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** The characters belong to their respective owners. The story is ours.

Wufei was curled up in his favorite chair with a book, bare feet tucked under him. Harsh winds pounded the rain against the window in heavy gushes, as if all hell had been set loose outside. Inside, however, it was warm and peaceful, and Wufei couldn't think of any place he'd rather be at the moment. Time was nearing midnight and Wufei's eyes were slowly slipping closed. It had been a long day.

He was startled awake as, suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Puzzled, and also a bit curious as to who might pay him a visit at this late hour, he got up and padded down the hallway to open the door. Peering out the little window next to the door, he couldn't make out but a dark silhouette against the street light. Unlatching the security chain, he cautiously opened the door, instincts immediately on alert, even after all these years.

Wufei blinked in surprise as the light from the hallway fell on the person waiting outside.

In front of the door, soaking wet, hair sticking to her face and a pair of sandals dangling from her hand, stood Relena Peacecraft.

They stood in silence for a moment, just staring. Even Relena looked surprised to see him, almost as if she was expecting someone else to open the door.

"Hi," Relena eventually said, giving him a watery smile. She looked out into the dark sky and then continued, "It's, uh, raining, and, um, my car broke down."

Wufei regained his composure and hurriedly stepped aside. "Please come in, you must be cold. I'll get you a towel."

He watched as she entered and closed the door, seeming a bit hesitant still. A puddle began to form immediately on the tiles around her feet and she looked up at him sheepishly. "I'm really sorry."

Still caught in a state between amusement and confusion, Wufei couldn't help but smile. "It's ok. Just... wait right there. I'll be back in a minute."

When Wufei returned with several large towels, some rags, a mop, and a bucket, Relena chuckled. "Did I really bring a flood in?"

"What? Oh, no, I, er -"

"I'm just teasing, Wufei." She smiled at him taking the bucket from him and promptly began stripping out of her wet clothes. Startled, Wufei spun around and felt his cheeks warming up. Grabbing the mop, he started to clean up the water starting at the door and willed his thoughts in any other direction than the woman undressing right behind him.

He was so intent on not thinking, that he was startled again, when Relena called out to him, amusement evident in her voice. "Wufei? I don't want to interrupt your cleaning, but what do you want me to do now?"

Swallowing once, twice, Wufei decided it was safe to turn around now; he found Relena with her hair wrapped in one towel, the other around her torso, and the bucket with wet clothes in her hand, looking at him expectantly.

Many a thoughts ran through his head as to what he would like a wet, semi-naked woman to do, but he was a gentleman. He would not voice them. Steeling his fortitude, he put on his 'business' face, after all this wasn't the first wet, semi-naked woman he had seen. "Give me the bucket. You can have a shower or a bath if you'd like. I'll find you some dry clothes, but they'll probably be a little big for you."

Relena smiled at him and nodded. "A hot shower would be truly wonderful." As if on cue, though he doubted it was intentional, Relena shivered.

"Come along then." He led the way down the hallway, then opened the bathroom door for her to enter. "There's more towels in the cupboard under the sink, shampoo and body wash are in the shower. Help yourself. I'll go get the clothes."

It didn't take him long to find a pair of draw string sweat pants and a long sleeved shirt, but by the time he got back, the shower was already running. The door, however, was still open. Spare clothing loosely in his hand, Wufei contemplated what to do for a moment, before concluding that Relena had probably meant for him to bring in the clothes. He knew that he wouldn't be able to really see her through the shower curtain, and yet, he felt strangely out of breath as he stepped into the room.

The bathroom was already steamy and it made Wufei's glasses fog up. Even behind the curtain and the steam, Relena's silhouette was clearly defined. Unable to draw his eyes away, Wufei felt his cheeks burn. Hastily he dropped the clothes on the rack and exited the bathroom.

Outside, he remained standing in mild confusion and embarrassment. He thought it was rather rude of him to ogle a friend, even if it was, indeed, a pretty friend, and Wufei certainly considered Relena a friend, although they hardly spent time together on a one on one basis. More often than not, he would either see her in a social gathering or when their work crossed path. Still, he felt closer to her than the passing acquaintance from his workplace. Perhaps it was the role they played in the wars that drew them together.

Shaking his head slightly, he removed his glasses to wipe off the condensation, then moved away from the bathroom. It would not do well to have her find him lurking outside. He headed to the kitchen and put the kettle on.

Making tea for some reason always calmed Wufei. It was something so simple, and yet, by the time he heard Relena come out of the bathroom, he felt much more collected. He carefully lifted the tray with the teapot and two cups and set out for the living room. As he entered, he was pleased to see that Relena had already found her way here, too. As suspected, his clothes were rather big on her, but it didn't change the fact that she looked very comfortable. In fact, Wufei realized that he didn't mind seeing his clothes on her in the least. Wufei shook his head slightly. What was wrong with him today? It was not like he'd never seen her before.

Relena was standing in front of his bookshelf, reading the book spines. She turned to look at him when he entered and a smile lit up her face. Wufei's heart warmed.

"Ooh, tea!" She exclaimed. Wufei hoped his slight disappointment didn't show. Surely he did not except her to be _that_ delighted to see him? Relena continued, "You read my mind."

Wufei set the tray down and smiled. "Nothing like a hot cup of tea on a cold night. I made Chinese tea, I hope you'll like it."

"I love Chinese tea," Relena replied as she reached out to take the cup, her sleeves fell over her hand. Both Wufei and Relena chuckled.

"Here, let me," Wufei offered as he reached out to fold her sleeves up. As he did, his fingers brushed her wrist and he felt another warm flush. They both stopped dead, then slowly looked up at each other, helplessly caught in the moment. Precious seconds passed, then Relena blinked, cheeks flushing, and Wufei hastily looked away, fumbling to get the sleeves rolled up quickly. He drew back and settled himself at one end of the couch, motioning for Relena to take the other.

She nodded and sat down gracefully, curling up with both hands wrapped around the cup.

Wufei cleared his throat before he looked at her again. "So. What happened?"

Relena looked away, almost guiltily. "Whatever do you mean? My car broke down."

"Indeed," Wufei nodded slowly and took a sip of his tea. He savored the taste, allowing a pause to span, before continuing, "Except you don't drive. Did you leave your chauffeur waiting in your car?"

She had the grace to blush in embarrassment. Wufei decided that she looked beautiful when she blushed like that. He had seen many people turn red and blotchy, but on Relena, it was almost like she glowed. The rose pink complemented her creamy white skin perfectly.

"Ok, you caught me out." She laughed. Wufei rarely heard her laugh this way. Like most people seasoned in the political arena, she had acquired a force, polite laugh when dealing with her peers. This laugh, however, was genuine and Wufei found that he wanted to hear more of it. "My car didn't break down. Actually, I caught the bus."

Wufei blinked. Then he blinked again, before it occurred to him that he must look rather foolish. "But then why...?" He was unable to put all the thoughts racing through his head into a coherent question, so he paused and re-tracked his train of thought, slowly regaining his composure before giving it another try. "That doesn't make any more sense." He raised both eyebrows at her, quite satisfied as she blushed faintly. "Don't tell me you just came here to use my shower, because I'm quite sure that yours is much fancier than mine."

Again, Relena laughed. She took a sip of her tea slowly, as if formulating an appropriate reply, and then cast a sidelong look at Wufei. A sly smile curled her lips. "A girl needs her secrets, Wufei. Besides I was in the neighborhood, so I thought we could maybe catch up? We hardly spend time together."

Wufei chuckled in response. "Alright, keep your secrets for now. I must say this is a pleasant surprise."

"I'm glad you think so. I was afraid I would be intruding."

"I'd say it is a refreshingly unusual situation. How could I turn away a woman who goes through the trouble of getting completely soaked just to have an excuse to visit me?" He grinned at her. "Is there anything in particular you would like to catch up on?"

"I am beginning to feel like this is an interrogation," she teased. Just then a soft ring sounded and interrupted them. Wufei looked around for the source of the unfamiliar sound. Relena then exclaimed, "Oh my phone!" With that she exited the room and went in search of it. The ringing stopped and Wufei heard snatches of the conversation.

"I told you I'm fine." Pause. "Just go home." Another pause. "Yes, really." She sounded sarcastic then. "I'm _fine._ I'm hanging up now. Don't call again." Moments later, Relena reentered the lounge and curled up on the couch.

"Let me freshen your tea," Wufei offered as he stood up. Curiosity burned in him, but he was a bit reluctant to ask, especially after being accused of interrogating her.

"Yes, thank you." Relena handed him her cup. After a moment silence, she spoke up again, "That was my self-appointed bodyguard. Checking up on me. I swear he'd tag and collar me given half the chance."

Wufei felt immediately alarmed; old habits die hard even if one tries to get rid of them. His first reaction was to question her about the need of a bodyguard, but he managed to bite his lip just in time. It was none of his business, although for a moment he almost wished it was. Trying to smooth over his reaction, he shot her another smile, holding a bit of the same irony that tinged his voice when he asked, "So, since I wouldn't dream of making you uncomfortable by asking further questions, is there anything you would like to know about me? Or is that question also out of the question? Oh, wait. That was _another_ question."

His words elicited another laugh from her, and Wufei couldn't help but feel a bit smug.

"I have a question actually. What is this tea? It's simply delicious."

"It's _long jing_ tea. Literally meaning 'dragon's well'. So great was its quality that the Chinese Emperor conferred it an imperial status." Wufei smiled. "That's me, full of useless information."

Relena smiled. "No, no, I love these trivia. I wish I had the time to read text that the fate of the world didn't depend on. Sometimes I just want to scream from all those boring documents! Ah! Listen to me whine."

"Don't worry, that wasn't too bad. You should hear Duo sometimes." Something occurred to him and he added with a laugh, "Ah, you probably have, too."

"Oh yes, I have," she confirmed. Their eyes met, sharing a look of complete understanding and also fondness of their mutual friend. Relena's smile deepened, and she looked at him over the rim of her cup, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she took another sip of tea. When she closed her eyes, obviously savoring the taste, Wufei caught himself already trying to think up another way to make her laugh.

"Speaking of whom, do you remember last Christmas..." Wufei began.

"Yes! At Quatre's!" Relena exclaimed, giggling already. "I don't think I've seen Trowa that embarrassed. I was sure Quatre was going to set the Maguanacs on Duo!"

"All of whom were falling over each other laughing."

Laughing, Relena nodded, "Good thing they have a perverse sense of humor as well!" Relena looked like she was about to continue when her phone rang again.

Grabbing her phone from the table she flipped it open, rolled her eyes, then looked at Wufei as if contemplating. Wufei simply raised an eyebrow at her in response.

With a snort, she almost forcefully pushed a button, apparently cutting the call as she snapped the phone shut a second later. For a moment she stared at the now quiet phone, before raising her eyes back up to meet Wufei's.

"I'm sorry. It's.... complicated."

"Don't apologize, and you don't have to tell if you don't want to." Wufei poured more tea for the both of them.

"No, no, I do want to share," Relena replied, shaking her head. She took another sip then continued, "He fancies himself something of an aristocrat. I think he said he was related to the Catalonias even though Dorothy hasn't the foggiest clue who he is." She paused to laugh. "We were introduced at one of the many social events, I don't even remember which. Since then he's been sort of courting me. It was sweet at first, but he doesn't know how to take no for an answer."

Relena puffed out a frustrated breath. "The most annoying thing is he's the son of some rich, influential magnate or something and having Heero suffocate him in his sleep would probably just cause more problems. It was flattering to have an admirer, but it's down right creepy when he turns into a virtual stalker."

Wufei frowned. He didn't like this one bit. However, he was sure that if there was anything that could be done, Heero would have seen to it. He'd trust Heero with his life - and with Relena's. Musing, Wufei looked at Relena thoughtfully, then before he could prevent it, the words spilled from his lips. "Have you considered getting a boyfriend?"

Horrified, he froze the moment he realized his slip, then averted his eyes, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. That didn't come out right. I meant for show, you know. Just long enough until he gives up...." Wufei trailed off, suddenly aware that he was babbling. Why was he babbling?

Running a hand through his hair, he sighed, then carefully turned his gaze back to Relena, only to find her watching him with a considering look on her face. Then slowly her lips curled to a smile, that was almost sly. Relena tapped her chin and said, "Sound idea. I would ask Heero but he has the social graces of a brick wall. Duo would probably cause a scandal just for the hell of it. Trowa could prove intimidating, maybe a little too intimidating though. Quatre, well, everyone knows he's gay as the day is long. So that leaves you. Are you volunteering?"

Wufei stared back. Completely lost for words.

He waited for a little while, desperately hoping for her to say she was merely joking, but he had a sinking feeling that she was actually serious. Cursing his loose tongue, he desperately tried to think of a way out. When he finally settled for an answer, it sounded lame, even to him. "Um... I don't think that would be a good idea."

It was Relena's turn to raise her eyebrows at him. "Why not? Is there a girlfriend waiting for you somewhere that I wasn't aware of?"

"What? No, no, nothing like that." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I just think it could get complicated. I'm not really one for the social scene either. Surely there are other guys?"

Relena pinned him with a stern gaze. "Of course there are others, but none that I would trust. I think you're making excuses. C'mon, tell me honestly why not and I'll back off. I promise."

"I, er..." Wufei felt his cheeks heating up as he pondered on how to answer Relena. For a slight and petite girl she sure could put the pressure on one; Wufei now understood how so many older and more experienced politicians could have fallen under her proverbial sword.

"You," he tried again, "you are aware that in order for this to be convincing certain things will have to be done for real, right? There's no way to fake, let's say, a kiss, and have it look real. Not to mention that we would have to spend a _lot_ of time together. In public. With our friends."

Relena tilted her head to the side, appearing to think this over. She tapped a finger against her lips, then her smile turned mischievous and another shiver of impending doom slithered down Wufei's spine. "So what you're trying to say is you don't find me attractive enough to kiss or interesting enough to spend more time with?" Relena asked, speaking slowly and with precision.

"Wait, no! That's not what I...." Wufei groaned and covered his face with his hands. He was losing way too much ground way too fast. If he'd ever had any. He shook his head, as if trying to clear it. "The question is, do _you_ find me attractive enough to kiss or interesting enough to spend more time with?"

Relena chuckled. "That's not an answer, but I'll throw you a bone. As a matter of fact, I do."

"You do?" Wufei replied, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice, and before he could stop himself, he asked, "Why?"

That drew a laugh from Relena. " 'Why?' he asks..." She shook her head. "I just do. Of course, I probably could go into more detail, but I'd prefer to save that for another time. Just take it as the compliment it was meant to be." After those last words, Relena winked at him before continuing. "So, you're actually considering it?"

By now, Wufei was convinced that this woman was evil. She was pretty, smart, and apparently cunning, as well. It intrigued him to no end. He managed to smile. "You really know how to put a man on the spot, don't you?"

"Naturally!" She replied with a flourish, but didn't elaborate. "Well?"

Wufei chuckled and took a long sip of his tea. "Maybe," he replied slowly. "After all, it would be rude of me not to." He looked at her, studied her even. Could they actually pull this off? What would it take for Relena's 'stalker' to back off? What if there was a real suitor that Relena liked and was put off by Wufei's presence? Of course, they could then 'break up' and Relena would be free to pursue a relationship with him. Wufei frowned a little, then he laughed at himself. They weren't even dating for real and already he was upset by the idea of breaking up?

"You might live to regret this, you know?" Wufei eventually said, a smirk of his own touching his lips.

Relena shrugged. "There's no telling until we've tried. I'm willing to risk it, if it gets that guy off my back." She took a last sip of tea from her cup, then set it aside on the table, before hiding a yawn behind her hand. She smiled at Wufei again, but this time it was sheepish, apologetic, and almost a bit shy. Wufei told his traitorous heart to stop being foolish as it fluttered in his chest.

"I'm sorry, but it's been a long day. Now, there's two possibilities; either you can drive me home now, which would mean going back out into this horrible weather. Or, you could give me a blanket, a pillow, and your couch to sleep on, and we could discuss the details of our plan over breakfast."

"I'll do you one better. You can sleep in my bed."

"Wow, you move fast," Relena quipped.

Right on cue, Wufei felt his cheeks heat up again as he hurriedly explained, "I mean you sleep in my bed, I'll sleep on the couch."

"Oh, right," Relena replied with an indulgent smile. "If you're sure, I don't mind sleeping on the couch."

"Not at all." He rose from his seat. "Bedroom is this way."

Relena nodded and got up as well. "Do you want me to put the cup in the kitchen?"

"No, no, just leave it. I'll do it before I go to bed."

"Ok."

Wufei led the way to his bedroom, not quite as calm on the inside as he appeared on the outside. Relena was right behind him, smelling of his shampoo and laundry soap. Wufei was by no means inexperienced when it came to women, but this felt....strange. Special? Different? He wasn't quite sure. In any case, there was a slight jolt of nervousness as he opened the door to his bedroom, motioning for Relena to step inside.

Relena paused at the threshold and surveyed the room. For a moment Wufei felt like his entire soul was laid bare for her scrutinize. It made him a little uneasy, yet he was almost anxious that she approved. She then smiled, and gave the room a small nod, almost to herself. "You have very nice taste."

"Thank you," Wufei said, inclining his head in acknowledgment of the compliment. "Did you need anything else?"

"Hmm, no," Relena said as she pulled the duvet back. She slid in between the sheets and snuggled into bed. Wufei turned off the light and moved to exit the room when Relena spoke up again, "Actually, there is one more thing..."

Wufei slowed and turned back, regarding her with a mixture of anticipation, amusement, and wariness. She looked relaxed and comfortable, tousled golden hair fanned out on the dark blue pillow, and her pale skin a stark contrast to the sheets. "Yes?"

She smiled at him sleepily. "I think you should kiss me good night. We might as well get used to it, and I really don't want our first kiss to be in public."

Wufei barely bit back a gasp as his stomach burst into a swarm of butterflies. He swallowed and silently counted to ten, reminding himself of all the reasons why this was Not A Good Idea.

"Please?"

He felt his feet move on their own accord, drawing him to the bed until he stood right in front of her. Still hesitant and somewhat uncertain, he sat down on the edge, then leaned forward until he hovered above her face. He watched her for a little while before reaching out with his hand and brushing his knuckles gently along her cheekbone. His voice was quiet and low, and a bit raspy. "Are you sure? There's plenty of time, you know."

She merely nodded and he caught her gaze for a few seconds, wondering if she really was as sure about all of this as she made out to be. Then he dipped down, cupping her face with his hand and smiling slightly as he watched her eyes slip closed. He brushed the tip of his nose against hers, then along her cheek as he closed the remaining distance to touch his lips to hers.

He kissed her without hurry, closed lips rubbing against hers, exploring the shape and texture of her mouth. He nipped at her bottom lip, drew it between his own and sucked lightly before gently teasing her mouth open with his tongue. She complied easily, yielding and inviting him in. A thrill of excitement jolted through his gut, but he kept his pace slow, leisurely exploring and mapping out her mouth. She tasted sweet and bitter at the same time, of green tea and something else.

Wufei felt her hand slide into his hair, curling around the strands. He smiled into the kiss and deepened it for a moment, briefly tangling his tongue with hers before breaking away. He felt his hair tie slide off as he pulled back, shoulder long hair falling around his face. Relena giggled, hand closing firmly around the hair tie. "I think I like that."

She looked flushed, eyes hazy, and lips kissed red. He needed to leave now.

He shook his head slightly and laughed in response to what she'd said. "You are crazy." Finding his resolve, he gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, then got up from the bed. "Good night, Relena."

He was already halfway through the room when her words reached him.

"Good night, Wufei, and... thank you."

He looked back, but she had her eyes closed. Shaking his head once more, Wufei finally exited the room, wondering what he'd gotten himself into.


End file.
